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St. Francis isn’t supposed to be in the CIF championship Saturday, not according to Calpreps.com, at least.
“They’ve picked us to lose every game in the playoffs,” St. Francis football coach Dean Herrington said Monday at the CIF championship luncheon.
Calpreps is the CIF’s new playoff system, based on math and other computer-based equations, that creates rankings, playoffs divisions, and predicts scores.
“It’s working for us,” Herrington added with a grin and chuckle.
The Golden Knights (10-3) are back in their second straight CIF Southern Section final Saturday when they travel to Etiwanda (8-5) for the Division 5 championship at 7:30 p.m. on Bally Sports Prep Zone.
Calpreps has St. Francis predicted to lose 38-35.
St. Francis’ star of the postseason has been running back Devyn Turner, a senior transfer from Allen High in Texas. Turner has scored 10 touchdowns this postseason, including five against Aquinas in the semifinal last week. He’s tallied a total of 530 rushing yards in the last three games.
Turner is the flash, but quarterback Jack Jacobs is the stability.
“He should be a national recruit,” Herrington said before Jacobs entered his junior year.
Jacobs certainly has the numbers of a top prospect. The 6-foot-6, right-handed senior has thrown for 3,083 yards, 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions with a completion percentage of 61% this season.
For comparison, Alemany’s Miller Moss (now at USC) threw for 28 touchdowns his final season. Agoura’s Ty Dieffenbach threw 34 touchdowns (nine INTs) last season. He’s committed to UNLV. Chaminade’s Javance Johnson (San Diego State commit) has 15 touchdown passes this season, but ran for 13. Jacobs outgained all of them in passing yards.
If there’s anyone that can give a stamp of approval on quarterbacks, it’s Dean Herrington, who’s coached 17 high school quarterbacks that’ve gone on to play NCAA Division I football.
The most notable being Kyle Boller (Hart/Cal), Matt Moore (Hart/Oregon State) and Vernon Adams (Alemany/Eastern Washington/Oregon) — all of them reached the professional level. Herrington’s most recent talents were Brevin White (Princeton) and CJ Montes (New Mexico) from Paraclete.
“I have no idea why he’s not getting recruited,” Herrington said of Jacobs. “It’s mind-boggling to me. He’s right in there with all those guys I’ve coached.”
Herrington has to really reach to think of a reason.
“Everyone wants the dual threat, Kyler Murray guy now,” Herrington added. “But Jack can get yards with his legs, too. He may not break for an 80-yard touchdown, but not many quarterbacks can.”
Jacobs is now 20-6 as a starter at St. Francis heading into Saturday’s CIF final. He throws touchdowns. He doesn’t turn the ball over. He’s reliable and available. He leads. He wins. What more could a college coach want?
How about maturity and focus? He’s got that too.
“I’m so proud of him,” Herrington said. “I know the lack of recruitment has to be frustrating him. But he doesn’t show it. He’s been very unselfish. He’s completely focused on winning a championship.”